Feed-trough.



M. D. STOCKING.

FEEDIR OUGH. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26. 1 915.

Patented. 001;; 23,1917,

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end of each clamping member may be pried outwardly and disengaged from its supporting member and then swung upwardly upon its opposite end as a fulcrum, it being apparent that such movement may be easily effected by reason of the fact that said opposite ends rest on the ledges 15 and are precluded from displacement by the cotter pins 16 and shoulders 17.

In addition to removably securing he trough to the supporting means the members 10 perform the further function of supporting a means for dividing the trough lengthwise so as to prevent hogs from crossing the trough or from interfering with those on the other side. This means comprises a division-board 18 extending substantially the length of the trough and secured in upright position intermediate the sides thereof to the members 10 by means of anglebars 19. This division-board does not project downwardly into the trough compart ment and its purpose is mainly to prevent hogs from climbing into the trough and to prevent hogs on one side of the trough from interfering with those on the other, thus serving, when a large number of hogs are feeding, a very useful purpose in keeping the hogs evenly distributed about the trough.

When it is desired to use the trough for watering purposes only, the division-board 18 may be removed and the top of the trough intermediate the endsupports may be covered by suitable means so as to prevent access to the central portion of the trough. Such means are providedin a very simple manner by mounting a board 21 on the top of the trough, as shown in Fig. :2, and securing an extension 22 to the underside of each end of the board adapted to project beneath the end clamping members and thus prevent the board 21 from being displaced. t will thus be apparent that only the end portions of the trough are open so that there is no possibility of hogs or other stock tramping in the trough and polluting the water; and with this means it is not necessary to refill the trough as often as in cases where the trough is entirely open or is of comparatively small capacity.

It will be obvious that the trough may be made any suitable length and an appropriate number of strap-iron supports and blocks provided, and that when three or mor sup porting means are utilized, the cov 'ng means or board 21 may be sprung or flexed up vardly at its center to pass over the cen trally disposed clamping members.

The base of the present support, made up of the sills 11 and the stringer 12, has important advantages over the base shown in my prior Patent No. 1,126,901 as follows: One stringer 12 is disposed at the middles of the sills 11, whereby there are no obstructions along the ground at opposite sides of the trough. Furthermore, the weight of the trough is supported more directly by the base for the reason that the trough support ing bracketsrest at their middles directly on the base.

I claim:

1. A feed trough support comprising transverse supports extending beyond each side of a trough and provided thereat with openings, and U-SllflPGCl clamping members the ends of which are reduced so as to form shoulders at the neck of the reduced portions, the reduced ends being turned inwardly and adapted to locate in said openings when the clamping members have been positioned across the top of a trough to secure the same to the supports, the shoulders at either end of the clamping members being adapted to abut against the outer sides of the supports when the opposite ends of the clamping members have been disengaged from the supports and raised to permit re? moval of a trough therefrom.

n. A support for feed troughs comprising a pair of sills, stringer connecting thev sills at the middles and across the tops thereof, and a trough supporting bracket for each sill, said bracket consisting of a metal strap bent at an intermediate portion to form a seat for the reception of a trough, and also bent to form leg standards depending from opposite ends of the seat and resting upon the end portions of a sill, the opposite end portions of the strap extending inwardly from the leg standards and overlapped be neath and secured to the bottom of the seat portion and constituting a tie bar for the leg standards, the intermediate portion of the tie bar being elevated to span the stringer.

MILTON D. STOCKING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each; by addressing the Ucmmissioner of Patents Washington fi. G, 7 

